Abuja—Professor Adesoji Adesugba, Managing Director, Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, NEPZA, has said the authority will use Free Trade Zones, FTZs, and Special Economic Zones, SEZs, to rejuvenate national economy.

Adesugba made this known on Wednesday in Abuja in his independence day message, re-assuring the public of NEPZA’s commitment to galvanise investments for the country’s economic growth post-COVID-19 pandemic.

Adesugba, in a statement by Mr Martins Odeh, the Head, Corporate Communications, NEPZA, said the country 60th independence anniversary signified the age of rejuvenation.

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The NEPZA chief said that the authority under his supervision was working assiduously to achieve its mandate of driving the country’s industrialisation process.

He said NEPZA was fully aware of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment toward expeditious economic recovery, noting that the authority was being repositioned to actualise this goal.

“First, we are poised to reduce or totally halt the huge capital flight that usually accompanies medical tourism.

“As can be seen, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the momentary shutting down of international borders.

“We are immediately leveraging on this to establish Medical and Pharmaceutical Special Economic Zones.

“This will be done in conjunction the Federal Ministry of Health, the World Bank Group and other relevant stakeholders in the health sector,” he said.

He said that when fully developed, world-class hospitals and pharmaceutical production companies would gravitate toward the country to dispense quality healthcare services for the people.

“We are sincerely interested in using the special economic zones model for many other specialised fields, but the medical sector remains our pilot scheme for now.

“NEPZA is more than ever committed to drive the country’s growth in all fronts even as we enter another threshold of our nation’s life,” Adesugba said.

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